2017 Childhood Lead Surveillance Annual Report...exposure include toys, ceramics and other consumer products.3 Water, as a source of lead exposure, can also be considered problematic

CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING PREVENTION PROGRAM PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Table of Contents

2017 Childhood Lead Surveillance Annual Report

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

December 2018

CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING PREVENTION PROGRAM PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 1

Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 3 Data Methods and Case Definition 5 Limitations 8 Definitions 9 Findings 10 Table 1. Summary of Blood Lead Tests Performed in 2017, by Age 10 Category Table 2. Characteristics of Children Tested for Lead, by Age Category, 2017 11 Figure 1. Percent of Children Tested for Lead, by Age Category and Race, 12 2017 Table 3. Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status per 2016 CDC 13 Case Definition, by Age Category, 2017 Table 4. Details of Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status, 14 by Age Category, 2017 Table 5. Confirmation After an Elevated Capillary Blood Lead Test, 15 by Capillary Test Level, 2017 Table 6. Blood Lead Reporting, by Method of Report and Type of 16 Reporting Organization, 2013–2017 Table 7. Number of Children Tested for Lead by Maximum Blood 17 Lead Level and County of Residence, Children Aged 0–23 Months, 2017 Table 8. Number of Children Tested for Lead by Maximum Blood 20 Lead Level and County of Residence, Children Aged 0–71 Months, 2017 Table 9. Number of Children Aged 0–23 Months, by County of Residence 23 and Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status, 2017


Figure 2. Number and Percentage of Children Aged 0–23 Months Tested 26 for Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017 Figure 3. Number and Percentage of Children Aged 0–23 Months with 27 Confirmed Elevated Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017 Table 10. Number of Children Aged 0–71 Months, by County of Residence 28 and Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status, 2017 Figure 4. Number and Percentage of Children Aged 0–71 Months Tested 31 for Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017 Figure 5. Number and Percentage of Children Aged 0–71 Months with 32 Confirmed Elevated Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017 Table 11. Number of Children Aged 0–71 Months, by Urban/Rural Status 33 of County of Residence and Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status, 2017 Contact Information 34


Executive Summary

This is the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s (Department) 12th childhood lead surveillance annual report, covering data for children tested in Pennsylvania during calendar year 2017. Data was extracted from the Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS), which is the Department’s disease reporting system. Although not legislatively mandated, the report is provided as a source of information for the public, federal, state and local agencies, as well as health care providers and any organizations and individuals interested in lead poisoning prevention in Pennsylvania. The report is an overview of lead testing in Pennsylvania and provides information about testing for children under the age of 2, as well as under the age of 6 by: race; confirmation status; method of testing; method of reporting; county of residence; and if they live in a rural county or an urban county. Exposure to lead, even at low levels, can cause intellectual, behavioral and academic deficits.1,2 For this reason, in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defined an elevated blood lead level (EBLL) as a blood lead level (BLL) ≥5 micrograms per deciliter (μg/dL).3 This value is also used to identify children who require case management because, even at low levels, lead has been known to affect IQ, the ability to pay attention and educational achievement. This report is used by the Department to identify areas that may be at high risk for lead exposure; locate areas of potential under-testing; and make data available for state and local needs assessments. This report may also be used by federal agencies, hospitals, universities, providers and county/municipal health departments. Nationally, among states with older housing stock, lead-based paint is a significant source of lead exposure in young children. According to the 2017 American Community Survey estimate, Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation for the percentage of housing units identified as having been built before 1950, when lead was most prevalent.4 Other sources of lead exposure include toys, ceramics and other consumer products.3 Water, as a source of lead exposure, can also be considered problematic when it flows through older lead plumbing and pipes or where lead solder has been used (which can occur in newer plumbing as well). Lead poisoning is a preventable environmental health hazard and, if not addressed, affects families regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. In recent years, there has been a national reduction in children’s BLLs. The Department continues to provide support to prevent and address EBLLs through multiple strategies. Among them, the Department maintains a lead information hotline to provide information about lead poisoning prevention, testing, follow-up, and local resources for assistance. Lead abatement efforts were continued through the federally funded Lead Hazard Control Program, which provided funding to local partners to contract with certified lead professionals to identify and remove lead hazards. The Department’s community health nurses (CHN) continued to monitor elevated lead levels (≥ 5 μg/dL) in children ages 6 and under living in Pennsylvania. The CHNs contacted families to provide education on laboratory results, sources of lead exposure, and actions to take to prevent/decrease the risk of exposure and help facilitate follow-up testing between client’s and their pediatricians. In cases where there was a significant lead exposure, CHNs worked


with the pediatrician and facilitated referrals to obtain home inspections, which could identify the source of exposure as well as provide hands-on education to parents. CHNs also worked to provide referrals to the Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children and to early intervention where appropriate. The Department also continued an ongoing collaboration with the Department of Human Services on a data match project to share data between the Medicaid claims database and the lead surveillance database. The data match will lead to improved quality lead data and better service provision for Medicaid-enrolled children. The Department also staffed a toll-free Lead Information Line, to provide information and referrals for concerned parents or professionals. The Wolf Administration and the Department are committed to preventing lead exposure and, by coordinating with state agencies, will work toward improving the outcomes of children throughout the commonwealth. This report is intended to provide information that is succinct, comprehensible and accessible to the public. Although lead surveillance should be considered an ongoing process, the goal of the report is to provide meaningful, useful and easy-to-access data to the commonwealth and its citizens, so that the data can be better utilized for decision-making, targeting of resources and implementing initiatives aimed at preventing exposure to lead.


Data Methods and Case Definition

Reporting of Test Results and Case Investigations

In Pennsylvania, clinical laboratories are required to report blood lead results on both venous and capillary specimens for persons under 16 years of age to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (28 Pa. Code § 27.34). In addition, clinicians are required to report cases of lead poisoning (28 Pa. Code § 27.21a). Reports are submitted electronically (either through electronic laboratory reporting or online key entry) to the Department through Pennsylvania’s electronic reportable disease surveillance system, PA-NEDSS. In 2017, reports with a BLL ≥ 5 μg/dL were assigned to public health investigators for follow-up based on the location of the patients’ residence. Investigators reviewed, verified and corrected, when necessary, critical pieces of information such as date of birth, address and specimen source. It is quite common for different entities to report the same BLL test result. For example, the ordering provider and the lab performing the analysis may both report a test. The Department does not discourage reporting from multiple sources, as it maximizes the likelihood that reporting will occur. In addition, different reporters often have different information about the patient − for instance, one may know more details about the specimen source and another may have better address information. PA-NEDSS is designed to handle duplicate reports from different sources. Several strategies are used in PA-NEDSS to ensure that all reports pertaining to a single patient are assigned to a single patient identifier. For the purposes of this annual report, tests with identical specimen collection dates and identical blood lead level results from the same patient were considered as a single test. The total number of blood lead tests was defined as the total number of de-duplicated blood tests obtained from children within the specified age categories. All blood lead tests were included, including those collected for screening, confirmation or follow-up purposes. Since many children had more than one BLL test during the year, the total number of children tested is less than the total number of blood lead tests performed. Per-child summary BLL measures were calculated using all BLL results obtained while the child was in the given age category.

Case Definition

In May 2012, the CDC accepted the recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Lead Poisoning Prevention to eliminate the term “level of concern” (associated with the level of 10 μg/dL) and to begin using a reference value of 5 μg/dL based on the 97.5 percentile of the blood lead distribution among U.S. children.3,5 A new case definition was officially implemented by CDC in 2016, and is used in this report to identify children with confirmed elevated blood lead. A confirmed elevated BLL is defined as a venous blood lead test ≥5 μg/dL, or two capillary blood lead tests ≥5 μg/dL drawn within 84 days (12 weeks) of each other. An unconfirmed elevated BLL is defined as a capillary blood lead test ≥5 μg/dL with no other blood lead test done in the next 84 days.6,7 To apply the CDC case definition, a number of different data elements need to be evaluated. These data elements were handled as follows in our analyses:


• If specimen collection date was missing or illogical, the laboratory received date or

result date was used instead. If all three were missing, the reported date was used.

• Specimens with unknown specimen source or characterized as simply “blood” (as

opposed to venous or capillary) were treated as if they were capillary specimens. In

cases where a test result was reported by different entities as coming from both a

capillary and venous specimen, case records were reviewed to determine the proper

specimen source.

• Tests with undetectable blood lead levels were either reported as below a numeric

detection limit or with a qualitative result of “negative,” “not detected” or “normal.” For

statistical purposes, these results were given a numeric BLL value of 0.1 μg/dL.

• If an elevated capillary test was obtained on a child near the end of 2017 or as the

child neared the limit of a particular age category, and if another elevated test result

was obtained within the next 84 days, the initial elevated test was considered to be

confirmed, even if the confirmatory test occurred in 2018 or outside of the age

category. For example, if a child had an elevated capillary test at 23 months of age in

November 2017 and received a confirmatory follow-up test within 12 weeks (in 2018),

this was considered an elevated BLL result in 2017 for a child “aged 0−23 months.”

For children who had multiple BLL tests performed, it was possible for them to qualify for

more than one case definition category (for example, they may have had an unconfirmed

elevated test and then, six months later, had another elevated test that was confirmed). In

these situations, a child was assigned to the highest BLL case definition category for which

they qualified.

Statistical Methods

All BLL test data obtained on children less than 16 years of age in 2017 was extracted from

the PA-NEDSS database. Analyses were performed on a per-test or per-child basis as

indicated in the tables below.

Most of the analyses in this report are limited to children in two overlapping age categories,

under 2 years of age (0–23 months) and under 6 years of age (0–71 months). Age was

defined as age at the time of the specimen collection date.

Childhood lead race and sex data in PA-NEDSS is obtained primarily from laboratory reports.

Although nearly all labs report information on sex, race information is not routinely collected

or stored by most laboratories. For these analyses, when possible, children were categorized

as either African-American, Asian, white, or other (which included multiracial children,

American Indians, and Pacific Islanders). However, given that race is unknown for over 50

percent of children, the race tables and figures should be interpreted with caution, and


inferences regarding the implications of the percentages presented in this report cannot be

generalized.

For the per-child analyses, two measures were used to indicate their BLL status:

• The maximum BLL was defined as the highest venous BLL obtained from a child in

2017 while they were in the specified age category. If a child had no venous BLL test

performed during that time period, maximum BLL was defined as the highest BLL from

a capillary or unknown specimen source. Venous results were ranked over capillary

results because capillary test results may be skewed by the presence of lead dust on

the skin .

• Elevated blood lead confirmation status was determined as described in the case

definition section above.

For county-specific analyses, the residential address accompanying the report that contained

the BLL result of interest was used to determine the county. For the maximum BLL measure,

the county was determined from the report containing the maximum test result. For the

elevated blood lead confirmation status measure, county was determined from the address

accompanying the initial elevated BLL. PA-NEDSS attempts to geocode all residential

addresses. For addresses that were successfully verified, county was based on the actual

home address. If an address was not able to be verified, the county was based on the

centroid of the residential zip code. A small proportion of children did not have a residential

address reported; the county was set by the location of the provider who ordered the test.

Intercensal population estimates for 2017 by county and age were obtained from the National

Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) website (Vintage 2017 bridged-race postcensal

population estimates, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm).8 These figures were

used to calculate the proportion of children tested for blood lead and the proportion of

children with elevated lead levels.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm


Limitations

The 2017 Childhood Lead Surveillance Annual Report presents an analysis of surveillance data displayed in graphic and tabular form, in keeping with CDC guidance for analysis of childhood lead data. Users of the report should be aware that public health surveillance data for childhood lead has inherent limitations that influences interpretation of the data. Most information comes from laboratories, and laboratories generally do not collect variables such as race or ethnicity; thus, there is a substantial amount of missing data for these key public health indicators. Data such as specimen source, residence of child and other important information may also be missing on laboratory test results. For the 2017 report, the Department did an enhanced review and cleaning of the data and was able to retrieve some missing data; nevertheless, for fields with a large amount of missing data (such as race), interpretation is not possible. Furthermore, Pennsylvania does not mandate universal and complete screening of all children. Therefore, testing of children for blood lead is targeted rather than random, which makes interpretation of rates of elevated blood lead levels by geographic area or demographic factors difficult. High rates of children with elevated blood lead levels in one area may reflect a true higher exposure risk in that area, or it may reflect more robust and targeted testing in that area. The burden of elevated childhood lead levels is best understood through a series of metrics: the percentage of children tested; the percentage who go on to have retests where appropriate (and alternatively the percentage who do not get appropriate testing and follow-up); and finally, the percentage of children with blood lead levels ≥5 μg/dL and those ≥10 μg/dL. This report shows both the number and percentage of children tested with blood lead levels ≥5 μg/dL and those ≥10 μg/dL. Pennsylvania lowered the threshold for outreach and follow-up from 10 μg/dL to 5 μg/dL in 2016. Finally, in May 2017, concerns were raised about the falsely low blood test results from LeadCare® analyzers when used to analyze venous specimen sources. The impact of this issue cannot be assessed, as the type of testing device used is not captured in the PA-NEDSS surveillance data sets.


Definitions

Age: Age of the child at the time of the test, expressed in months. Children under age 2 are 0−23 months, and children under age 6 are 0−71 months. Blood lead level (BLL): The numeric result of a blood lead test, expressed in micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) Capillary: A blood lead test with blood drawn by a finger stick Confirmed EBLL ≥5 µg/dL: One venous blood lead test ≥5 µg/dL or two capillary blood lead tests ≥5 µg/dL drawn within 12 weeks of each othe. Confirmed EBLL ≥10 µg/dL: One venous blood lead test ≥10 µg/dL or two capillary blood lead tests ≥10 µg/dL drawn within 12 weeks of each other Electronic Lab Reporting (ELR): The system by which blood lead reports are submitted electronically from a laboratory’s system to PA-NEDSS Elevated blood lead level (EBLL): A BLL ≥5 µg/dL Micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL): The amount of lead in the blood, measured by micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood Not elevated: A child with a confirmed venous or capillary BLL <5 μg/dL, or who had an initial elevated capillary BLL that was found to be <5 μg/dL on either a venous or capillary follow-up test Online key entry: Manual entry of blood lead reports into PA-NEDSS Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS): the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s online disease surveillance system. It serves as the Department’s reporting system for all reportable conditions and has been utilized for childhood lead surveillance since 2003. Rural versus urban counties: The Center for Rural Pennsylvania defines rural and urban counties in terms of population density. Those counties with a population density above the state average (284 persons per square mile) are considered urban, and those below the state average are considered rural. For more information and definitions concerning rural and urban counties, please see the Center for Rural Pa’s website at: http://www.rural.palegislature.us/demographics_rural_urban.html.

http://www.rural.palegislature.us/demographics_rural_urban.html


Findings

Statewide Summaries by Age:

Pennsylvania does not have a universal childhood blood lead testing law, so there is no mandate for children to be tested by a certain age. However, the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program (administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services) requires providers to test children on Medical Assistance at ages 1 and 2. Furthermore, most clinical practice guidelines recommend testing children under 7 and focusing on children at ages 1 and 2. The following charts include statewide aggregate childhood lead testing data broken out by the age groupings of children tested, as well as the age at the time of their highest result. The charts also include breakouts of sex, race and the range of the highest BLL.

Table 1. Summary of Blood Lead Tests Performed in 2017, by Age Category

Age category* Total number of tests† Capillary test# Venous test

N % N %

0−23 months (under 2 years)

88,307 46,346 52.48 41,961 47.52

0−71 months (under 6 years)

165,732 81,358 49.09 84,374 50.91

0−15 years 175,851 82,575 46.96 93,276 53.04

*Age at time of specimen collection †Total number of de-duplicated blood tests obtained on children within the age category. A blood lead test may be collected for screening, confirmation or follow-up. Many children had more than one test in any given year. The remainder of tables were analyzed on a per child basis rather than per test. #Blood specimens of unknown source were treated as though they were capillary tests. Data sources: Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS.


Table 2. Characteristics of Children Tested for Lead, by Age Category, 2017

Children aged 0−23 months Children aged 0−71 months

N % of total N % of total

Total number of children tested† 82,316 100.00 151,756 100.00

Age at time of maximum BLL

Under 1 year 42,087 51.13 42,087 27.73

One year 40,229 48.87 39,529 26.05

Two years - - 43,690 28.79

Three years - - 11,489 7.57

Four years - - 8,935 5.89

Five years - - 6,026 3.97

Sex

Female 39,637 48.15 72,886 48.03

Male 41,776 50.75 77,831 51.29

Unknown 903 1.10 1,039 0.68

Race

Asian 1,841 2.24 3,440 2.27

Black or African-American 8,752 10.63 19,647 12.95

White 25,256 30.68 44,036 29.02

Other^ 442 0.54 1,060 0.70

Unknown 46,025 55.91 83,573 55.07

Maximum BLL (μg/dL)*

<5 78,500 95.36 142,431 93.86

5–9.9 2,946 3.58 7,190 4.74

10–19.9 712 0.86 1,732 1.14

20–44.9 148 0.18 374 0.25

45–59.9 3 0.00 15 0.01

60–69.9 5 0.01 9 0.01

≥70 2 0.00 5 0.00

†Number of Pennsylvania children within the age category who had at least one blood lead test done with a specimen collection date in 2017 ^Other race includes multiracial children, American Indians and Pacific Islanders. *Highest venous blood lead level (BLL) obtained per child in 2017, or highest BLL from a capillary or unknown specimen source, if no venous test was performed Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Statewide Summaries by Race:

The following graphic displays the percentage of children tested by race, for children under ages 2 and 6. Note, the Department does not receive identifiable race data with most childhood lead reports; therefore, the data presented in the figures below may be an over- or under-representation of children tested by race.

Figure 1. Percent* of Children Tested for Lead, by Age Category and Race, 2017

*Percent was calculated as the number of children in race category divided by the total number of children tested in each age category. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.

Asian2.24%

Black or African-

American10.63%

White30.68%

Other^0.54%

Unknown55.91%

Children aged 0−23 months at time of maximum BLL

Asian2.27%

Black or African-

American12.95%

White29.02%

Other^0.70%

Unknown55.06%

Children aged 0−71 months at time of maximum BLL


Statewide Summaries by Confirmed Elevated Status:

The following charts display EBLL by confirmation status. Confirmation status can be: not elevated, elevated but not confirmed or confirmed. Also included is data on how the results were confirmed. Children can be tested for lead by either a finger stick (capillary) or blood draw (venous). Because capillary tests are more subject to contamination, they are less reliable than venous tests, so venous tests are preferred to get the most accurate result. It is not always possible to perform a venous test, so elevated capillary results are confirmed with either another capillary test or a venous test. Venous testing requires a trained phlebotomist, and some clinical settings may not have this expertise; in addition, successfully getting a venous specimen in very small children can be difficult.

Table 3. Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status per 2016 CDC Case Definition*, by Age Category, 2017

Children aged 0−23 months Children aged 0−71 months


Total number of children tested 82,316 100.00 151,756 100.00

Confirmation status

Not elevated (<5 μg/dL)** 78,534 95.41 142,390 93.83

Unconfirmed elevated (≥5 μg/dL)† 1,093 1.33 2,512 1.66

Confirmed 5−9.9 μg/dL 1,980 2.41 5,063 3.34

Confirmed ≥10 μg/dL 709 0.86 1,791 1.18

*CDC case definition defines a confirmed elevated BLL as one venous blood lead test ≥5 μg/dL, or two capillary blood lead tests ≥5 μg/dL drawn within 12 weeks of each other. **The child had either no BLL ≥5 μg/dL, or had an initially elevated capillary BLL that was found to be <5 μg/dL on either venous or capillary retest. †Initial capillary test was ≥5 μg/dL, but test result was not confirmed by a venous or capillary retest within 12 weeks. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Table 4. Details of Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status, by Age Category, 2017

Children aged 0−23 months

Children aged 0−71 months


Total number of children tested 82,316 100.00 151,756 100.00

Confirmation status† Outcome

Not elevated (<5 μg/dL) BLL<5 μg/dL 77,559 94.22 140,432 92.54

Repeat capillary test did NOT confirm initial elevated capillary test.

52 0.06 101 0.07

Venous test did NOT confirm initial elevated capillary test.

923 1.12 1,857 1.22

Unconfirmed elevated (≥5 μg/dL)††

Not retested appropriately 1,093 1.33 2,512 1.66

Confirmed 5–9.9 μg/dL Capillary confirmed by repeat capillary test

37 0.04 58 0.04

Capillary confirmed by venous test

394 0.48 764 0.50

Venous test 1,549 1.88 4,241 2.79

Confirmed ≥10 μg/dL Capillary confirmed by repeat capillary test

4 0.00 4 0.00

Capillary confirmed by venous test

160 0.19 315 0.21

Venous test 545 0.66 1,472 0.97

†Per CDC 2016 Confirmed Elevated Blood Lead case definition †† Initial capillary test was ≥5 μg/dL, but test result was not confirmed by a venous or capillary retest within 12 weeks. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Table 5. Confirmation After an Elevated Capillary Blood Lead Test, by Capillary Test Level, 2017

Blood Lead Level of Initial Elevated Capillary Test (μg/dL)

Number of Children*

Children with a Diagnostic Venous Retest Within 12 weeks†

Children with either a Venous or Capillary Retest Within 12 weeks†

N % N %

5–9.9 4,523 2,113 46.72 2,257 49.90

10–19.9 957 644 67.29 664 69.38

20–44.9 214 190 88.79 192 89.72

45–59.9 10 10 100.00 10 100.00

60–69.9 4 4 100.00 4 100.00

≥70 4 4 100.00 4 100.00

Overall 5,712 2,965 51.91 3,131 54.81

*Children aged 0–15 years †Retest results may not be in the same blood lead level range as the initial capillary test. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Reporting by Method and Organization:

The chart below displays data on how blood lead reports were submitted to PA-NEDSS and who submitted the report. By law, all blood lead tests analyzed by laboratories on children under 16 years of age are required to be reported to the Department. Reports can be submitted by electronic lab reporting (ELR) or by online key-entry. ELR is the preferred method of receiving reports, as the information is usually more accurate, complete and timely. From 2013 to 2017, the number of laboratories reporting through electronic laboratory reporting increased from 20 to 25, and the proportion of lead reports received via ELR increased from 87 to 91 percent.

Table 6. Blood Lead Reporting, by Method of Report and Type of Reporting Organization, 2013–2017

Method of Report 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Number of reports submitted†

ELR* 147,522 149,334 146,104 160,488 169,675

Online key-entry by lab 21,225 16,978 14,997 14,561 13,011

Online key-entry by provider# 1,4401 2,065 2,642 3,401 2,775

Total 170,187 168,377 163,743 178,450 185,461

% ELR 86.68 88.69 89.23 89.93 91.49

*ELR=electronic laboratory reporting †The same test result may be reported by the ordering provider, the receiving laboratory and/or the reference lab that performs the test. The data in this table are not de-duplicated. Also, reports may contain more than one test result. #Online key-entry by provider includes some test results key-entered by Department staff on behalf of providers. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS.


Testing Summaries by County:

The following are summaries of children under age 2 and age 6 tested by county, including number of children tested, the percent of population tested, and BLLs of 5−9.9 and ≥10 μg/dL.

Table 7. Number of Children Tested for Lead by Maximum Blood Lead Level and County of Residence, Children Aged 0–23 Months, 2017

County of Residence†

Population of Children Aged 0–23 Months††

Children Tested* Maximum BLL 5–9.9 μg/dL Maximum BLL ≥10 μg/dL

N % of population** N % of tested % of population N % of tested % of population

Adams 2,049 523 25.52 7 1.34 0.34 3 0.57 0.15

Allegheny 26,118 10,189 39.01 302 2.96 1.16 72 0.71 0.28

Armstrong 1,155 547 47.36 14 2.56 1.21 5 0.91 0.43

Beaver 3,394 897 26.43 27 3.01 0.80 5 0.56 0.15

Bedford 906 369 40.73 21 5.69 2.32 5 1.36 0.55

Berks 9,389 2,174 23.15 189 8.69 2.01 47 2.16 0.50

Blair 2,588 710 27.43 34 4.79 1.31 5 0.70 0.19

Bradford 1,419 388 27.34 16 4.12 1.13 7 1.80 0.49

Bucks 12,059 2,522 20.91 29 1.15 0.24 11 0.44 0.09

Butler 3,702 1,143 30.88 16 1.40 0.43 7 0.61 0.19

Cambria 2,611 800 30.64 38 4.75 1.46 12 1.50 0.46

Cameron 85 27 31.76 0 0.00 0.00 1 3.70 1.18

Carbon 1,202 334 27.79 16 4.79 1.33 6 1.80 0.50

Centre 2,612 594 22.74 10 1.68 0.38 3 0.51 0.11

Chester 11,017 2,756 25.02 62 2.25 0.56 19 0.69 0.17

Clarion 827 211 25.51 5 2.37 0.60 3 1.42 0.36

Clearfield 1,424 487 34.20 8 1.64 0.56 2 0.41 0.14

Clinton 857 210 24.50 6 2.86 0.70 0 0.00 0.00

Columbia 1,092 225 20.60 6 2.67 0.55 4 1.78 0.37

Crawford 1,855 486 26.20 27 5.56 1.46 4 0.82 0.22

Cumberland 5,342 636 11.91 14 2.20 0.26 4 0.63 0.07

Dauphin 6,655 1,188 17.85 46 3.87 0.69 16 1.35 0.24






Delaware 12,824 4,903 38.23 128 2.61 1.00 31 0.63 0.24

Elk 592 142 23.99 3 2.11 0.51 0 0.00 0.00

Erie 6,148 2,080 33.83 81 3.89 1.32 40 1.92 0.65

Fayette 2,759 687 24.90 11 1.60 0.40 5 0.73 0.18

Forest 52 15 28.85 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00

Franklin 3,632 868 23.90 38 4.38 1.05 6 0.69 0.17

Fulton 255 76 29.80 3 3.95 1.18 0 0.00 0.00

Greene 774 201 25.97 8 3.98 1.03 4 1.99 0.52

Huntingdon 814 209 25.68 2 0.96 0.25 1 0.48 0.12

Indiana 1,498 426 28.44 11 2.58 0.73 6 1.41 0.40

Jefferson 961 239 24.87 10 4.18 1.04 5 2.09 0.52

Juniata 517 127 24.56 5 3.94 0.97 1 0.79 0.19

Lackawanna 4,364 1,003 22.98 49 4.89 1.12 21 2.09 0.48

Lancaster 14,385 1,979 13.76 98 4.95 0.68 38 1.92 0.26

Lawrence 1,891 425 22.47 12 2.82 0.63 2 0.47 0.11

Lebanon 3,211 615 19.15 35 5.69 1.09 8 1.30 0.25

Lehigh 8,449 2,140 25.33 92 4.30 1.09 36 1.68 0.43

Luzerne 6,297 2,005 31.84 64 3.19 1.02 12 0.60 0.19

Lycoming 2,355 699 29.68 27 3.86 1.15 6 0.86 0.25

McKean 780 321 41.15 18 5.61 2.31 4 1.25 0.51

Mercer 2,241 543 24.23 17 3.13 0.76 2 0.37 0.09

Mifflin 1,175 271 23.06 7 2.58 0.60 4 1.48 0.34

Monroe 2,869 433 15.09 2 0.46 0.07 1 0.23 0.03

Montgomery 17,920 5,356 29.89 116 2.17 0.65 29 0.54 0.16

Montour 422 114 27.01 2 1.75 0.47 3 2.63 0.71

Northampton 5,673 1,115 19.65 35 3.14 0.62 12 1.08 0.21

Northumberland 1,877 549 29.25 19 3.46 1.01 13 2.37 0.69

Perry 1,052 236 22.43 5 2.12 0.48 3 1.27 0.29

Philadelphia 43,009 18,903 43.95 862 4.56 2.00 240 1.27 0.56






Pike 820 188 22.93 3 1.60 0.37 1 0.53 0.12

Potter 354 149 42.09 6 4.03 1.69 2 1.34 0.56

Schuylkill 2,603 886 34.04 47 5.30 1.81 10 1.13 0.38

Snyder 892 157 17.60 9 5.73 1.01 2 1.27 0.22

Somerset 1,371 365 26.62 17 4.66 1.24 2 0.55 0.15

Sullivan 72 22 30.56 1 4.55 1.39 2 9.09 2.78

Susquehanna 717 127 17.71 5 3.94 0.70 0 0.00 0.00

Tioga 844 172 20.38 4 2.33 0.47 1 0.58 0.12

Union 772 204 26.42 13 6.37 1.68 3 1.47 0.39

Venango 1,026 246 23.98 10 4.07 0.97 9 3.66 0.88

Warren 753 217 28.82 17 7.83 2.26 5 2.30 0.66

Washington 3,908 1,127 28.84 33 2.93 0.84 7 0.62 0.18

Wayne 791 192 24.27 8 4.17 1.01 1 0.52 0.13

Westmoreland 6,193 1,852 29.90 40 2.16 0.65 10 0.54 0.16

Wyoming 503 75 14.91 0 0.00 0.00 1 1.33 0.20

York 9,835 2,240 22.78 80 3.57 0.81 40 1.79 0.41

Unable to determine

- 1 - 0 0.00 - 0 0.00 -

Total 278,608 82,316 29.55 2,946 3.58 1.06 870 1.06 0.31

*Note that Pennsylvania does not mandate universal screening of children; screening of children at risk is recommended. ††2017 intercensal estimate **Percent was calculated as number of children tested divided by the population of children in the county for the specified age range. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Table 8. Number of Children Tested for Lead by Maximum Blood Lead Level and County of Residence, Children Aged 0–71 Months, 2017




N % of

population** N % of tested % of population N

% of tested

% of population

Adams 6,271 1,008 16.07 20 1.98 0.32 6 0.60 0.10

Allegheny 77,353 17,028 22.01 605 3.55 0.78 151 0.89 0.20

Armstrong 3,798 1,015 26.72 30 2.96 0.79 12 1.18 0.32

Beaver 10,347 1,627 15.72 54 3.32 0.52 8 0.49 0.08

Bedford 2,801 648 23.13 37 5.71 1.32 7 1.08 0.25

Berks 29,214 4,914 16.82 407 8.28 1.39 138 2.81 0.47

Blair 7,980 1,220 15.29 81 6.64 1.02 20 1.64 0.25

Bradford 4,309 605 14.04 25 4.13 0.58 13 2.15 0.30

Bucks 37,329 4,005 10.73 46 1.15 0.12 15 0.37 0.04

Butler 11,761 1,870 15.90 36 1.93 0.31 12 0.64 0.10

Cambria 7,851 1,536 19.56 111 7.23 1.41 34 2.21 0.43

Cameron 275 67 24.36 2 2.99 0.73 1 1.49 0.36

Carbon 3,637 638 17.54 42 6.58 1.15 16 2.51 0.44

Centre 8,004 726 9.07 13 1.79 0.16 3 0.41 0.04

Chester 35,131 4,734 13.48 150 3.17 0.43 32 0.68 0.09

Clarion 2,377 350 14.72 9 2.57 0.38 6 1.71 0.25

Clearfield 4,439 766 17.26 26 3.39 0.59 6 0.78 0.14

Clinton 2,575 333 12.93 11 3.30 0.43 2 0.60 0.08

Columbia 3,591 362 10.08 17 4.70 0.47 8 2.21 0.22

Crawford 5,699 794 13.93 47 5.92 0.82 14 1.76 0.25

Cumberland 16,404 1,054 6.43 33 3.13 0.20 10 0.95 0.06

Dauphin 20,715 2,349 11.34 139 5.92 0.67 50 2.13 0.24

Delaware 40,047 8,978 22.42 308 3.43 0.77 84 0.94 0.21

Elk 1,805 262 14.52 3 1.15 0.17 4 1.53 0.22

Erie 18,642 3,623 19.43 201 5.55 1.08 74 2.04 0.40

Fayette 8,197 1,237 15.09 30 2.43 0.37 12 0.97 0.15





N % of


% of tested

% of population

Forest 160 22 13.75 1 4.55 0.63 0 0.00 0.00

Franklin 10,924 1,574 14.41 70 4.45 0.64 8 0.51 0.07

Fulton 881 150 17.03 7 4.67 0.79 1 0.67 0.11

Greene 2,319 426 18.37 12 2.82 0.52 10 2.35 0.43

Huntingdon 2,640 441 16.70 14 3.17 0.53 3 0.68 0.11

Indiana 4,801 783 16.31 27 3.45 0.56 14 1.79 0.29

Jefferson 3,011 438 14.55 21 4.79 0.70 7 1.60 0.23

Juniata 1,612 192 11.91 6 3.13 0.37 3 1.56 0.19

Lackawanna 13,430 2,118 15.77 162 7.65 1.21 58 2.74 0.43

Lancaster 43,205 3,495 8.09 196 5.61 0.45 82 2.35 0.19

Lawrence 5,618 720 12.82 29 4.03 0.52 8 1.11 0.14

Lebanon 10,073 1,111 11.03 65 5.85 0.65 19 1.71 0.19

Lehigh 26,276 4,349 16.55 195 4.48 0.74 70 1.61 0.27

Luzerne 19,415 3,366 17.34 150 4.46 0.77 40 1.19 0.21

Lycoming 7,507 1,130 15.05 53 4.69 0.71 20 1.77 0.27

McKean 2,454 654 26.65 38 5.81 1.55 8 1.22 0.33

Mercer 6,598 1,039 15.75 46 4.43 0.70 13 1.25 0.20

Mifflin 3,499 402 11.49 12 2.99 0.34 6 1.49 0.17

Monroe 9,177 860 9.37 10 1.16 0.11 1 0.12 0.01

Montgomery 55,131 9,039 16.40 249 2.75 0.45 85 0.94 0.15

Montour 1,209 400 33.09 6 1.50 0.50 4 1.00 0.33

Northampton 17,965 2,246 12.50 90 4.01 0.50 28 1.25 0.16

Northumberland 5,698 982 17.23 76 7.74 1.33 25 2.55 0.44

Perry 3,206 371 11.57 7 1.89 0.22 4 1.08 0.12

Philadelphia 126,682 39,818 31.43 2,538 6.37 2.00 663 1.67 0.52

Pike 2,591 429 16.56 6 1.40 0.23 1 0.23 0.04

Potter 1,083 282 26.04 11 3.90 1.02 4 1.42 0.37

Schuylkill 8,297 1,532 18.46 113 7.38 1.36 36 2.35 0.43





N % of


% of tested

% of population

Snyder 2,784 259 9.30 16 6.18 0.57 3 1.16 0.11

Somerset 4,119 589 14.30 28 4.75 0.68 4 0.68 0.10

Sullivan 203 30 14.78 1 3.33 0.49 2 6.67 0.99

Susquehanna 2,217 255 11.50 12 4.71 0.54 1 0.39 0.05

Tioga 2,595 325 12.52 12 3.69 0.46 2 0.62 0.08

Union 2,432 351 14.43 21 5.98 0.86 6 1.71 0.25

Venango 3,117 524 16.81 34 6.49 1.09 25 4.77 0.80

Warren 2,365 428 18.10 42 9.81 1.78 9 2.10 0.38

Washington 12,714 1,780 14.00 65 3.65 0.51 19 1.07 0.15

Wayne 2,522 396 15.70 18 4.55 0.71 4 1.01 0.16

Westmoreland 19,498 3,161 16.21 75 2.37 0.38 26 0.82 0.13

Wyoming 1,589 124 7.80 2 1.61 0.13 2 1.61 0.13

York 30,659 3,412 11.13 171 5.01 0.56 73 2.14 0.24

Unable to determine

. 4 . 0 0.00 . 0 0.00 .

Total 852,828 151,756 17.79 7,190 4.74 0.84 2,135 1.41 0.25

*Note that Pennsylvania does not mandate universal screening of children; screening of children at risk is recommended. ††2017 intercensal estimate **Percent was calculated as number of children tested divided by the population of children in the county for the specified age range. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Table 9: Number of Children Aged 0–23 Months, by County of Residence and Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status*, 2017


Population of Children Aged 0–23 Months**

Children Tested Unconfirmed elevated

(≥5 μg/dL) Confirmed 5–9.9 μg/dL Confirmed ≥10 μg/dL

N % of

population†† N

% of tested

% of population

N % of

tested % of

population N

% of tested

% of population

Adams 2,049 524 25.57 2 0.38 0.10 4 0.76 0.20 3 0.57 0.15

Allegheny 26,118 10,184 38.99 144 1.41 0.55 166 1.63 0.64 54 0.53 0.21

Armstrong 1,155 549 47.53 6 1.09 0.52 6 1.09 0.52 6 1.09 0.52

Beaver 3,394 899 26.49 20 2.22 0.59 8 0.89 0.24 3 0.33 0.09

Bedford 906 370 40.84 7 1.89 0.77 15 4.05 1.66 4 1.08 0.44

Berks 9,389 2,170 23.11 54 2.49 0.58 144 6.64 1.53 38 1.75 0.40

Blair 2,588 710 27.43 7 0.99 0.27 26 3.66 1.00 4 0.56 0.15

Bradford 1,419 389 27.41 3 0.77 0.21 14 3.60 0.99 7 1.80 0.49

Bucks 12,059 2,523 20.92 7 0.28 0.06 21 0.83 0.17 10 0.40 0.08

Butler 3,702 1,139 30.77 9 0.79 0.24 9 0.79 0.24 4 0.35 0.11

Cambria 2,611 798 30.56 18 2.26 0.69 21 2.63 0.80 8 1.00 0.31

Cameron 85 27 31.76 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 1 3.70 1.18

Carbon 1,202 334 27.79 15 4.49 1.25 5 1.50 0.42 3 0.90 0.25

Centre 2,612 594 22.74 3 0.51 0.11 6 1.01 0.23 2 0.34 0.08

Chester 11,017 2,757 25.02 34 1.23 0.31 32 1.16 0.29 13 0.47 0.12

Clarion 827 211 25.51 0 0.00 0.00 4 1.90 0.48 3 1.42 0.36

Clearfield 1,424 487 34.20 7 1.44 0.49 2 0.41 0.14 1 0.21 0.07

Clinton 857 211 24.62 0 0.00 0.00 5 2.37 0.58 0 0.00 0.00

Columbia 1,092 225 20.60 1 0.44 0.09 5 2.22 0.46 4 1.78 0.37

Crawford 1,855 484 26.09 10 2.07 0.54 19 3.93 1.02 2 0.41 0.11

Cumberland 5,342 637 11.92 6 0.94 0.11 8 1.26 0.15 4 0.63 0.07

Dauphin 6,655 1,188 17.85 19 1.60 0.29 31 2.61 0.47 12 1.01 0.18

Delaware 12,824 4,902 38.23 40 0.82 0.31 92 1.88 0.72 23 0.47 0.18

Elk 592 142 23.99 1 0.70 0.17 2 1.41 0.34 0 0.00 0.00

Erie 6,148 2,082 33.86 57 2.74 0.93 37 1.78 0.60 29 1.39 0.47






N % of

population†† N

% of tested

% of population

N % of

tested % of

population N

% of tested

% of population

Fayette 2,759 687 24.90 1 0.15 0.04 10 1.46 0.36 4 0.58 0.14

Forest 52 15 28.85 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00

Franklin 3,632 867 23.87 27 3.11 0.74 16 1.85 0.44 2 0.23 0.06

Fulton 255 76 29.80 0 0.00 0.00 3 3.95 1.18 0 0.00 0.00

Greene 774 200 25.84 6 3.00 0.78 3 1.50 0.39 3 1.50 0.39

Huntingdon 814 209 25.68 0 0.00 0.00 2 0.96 0.25 1 0.48 0.12

Indiana 1,498 425 28.37 8 1.88 0.53 6 1.41 0.40 2 0.47 0.13

Jefferson 961 240 24.97 9 3.75 0.94 3 1.25 0.31 4 1.67 0.42

Juniata 517 126 24.37 3 2.38 0.58 2 1.59 0.39 1 0.79 0.19

Lackawanna 4,364 1,004 23.01 30 2.99 0.69 24 2.39 0.55 16 1.59 0.37

Lancaster 14,385 1,981 13.77 16 0.81 0.11 90 4.54 0.63 36 1.82 0.25

Lawrence 1,891 425 22.47 6 1.41 0.32 6 1.41 0.32 2 0.47 0.11

Lebanon 3,211 615 19.15 14 2.28 0.44 20 3.25 0.62 8 1.30 0.25

Lehigh 8,449 2,143 25.36 43 2.01 0.51 47 2.19 0.56 29 1.35 0.34

Luzerne 6,297 2,003 31.81 35 1.75 0.56 35 1.75 0.56 5 0.25 0.08

Lycoming 2,355 698 29.64 0 0.00 0.00 27 3.87 1.15 4 0.57 0.17

McKean 780 321 41.15 14 4.36 1.79 6 1.87 0.77 2 0.62 0.26

Mercer 2,241 543 24.23 11 2.03 0.49 8 1.47 0.36 2 0.37 0.09

Mifflin 1,175 270 22.98 1 0.37 0.09 6 2.22 0.51 4 1.48 0.34

Monroe 2,869 434 15.13 1 0.23 0.03 0 0.00 0.00 1 0.23 0.03

Montgomery 17,920 5,350 29.85 28 0.52 0.16 94 1.76 0.52 24 0.45 0.13

Montour 422 115 27.25 1 0.87 0.24 3 2.61 0.71 2 1.74 0.47

Northampton 5,673 1,115 19.65 22 1.97 0.39 16 1.43 0.28 8 0.72 0.14

Northumberland 1,877 550 29.30 8 1.45 0.43 14 2.55 0.75 13 2.36 0.69

Perry 1,052 239 22.72 4 1.67 0.38 4 1.67 0.38 2 0.84 0.19

Philadelphia 43,009 18,909 43.97 191 1.01 0.44 694 3.67 1.61 224 1.18 0.52

Pike 820 188 22.93 2 1.06 0.24 2 1.06 0.24 0 0.00 0.00






N % of

population†† N

% of tested

% of population

N % of

tested % of

population N

% of tested

% of population

Potter 354 149 42.09 2 1.34 0.56 4 2.68 1.13 2 1.34 0.56

Schuylkill 2,603 884 33.96 26 2.94 1.00 19 2.15 0.73 7 0.79 0.27

Snyder 892 157 17.60 4 2.55 0.45 4 2.55 0.45 2 1.27 0.22

Somerset 1,371 365 26.62 5 1.37 0.36 11 3.01 0.80 1 0.27 0.07

Sullivan 72 22 30.56 0 0.00 0.00 1 4.55 1.39 2 9.09 2.78

Susquehanna 717 127 17.71 0 0.00 0.00 4 3.15 0.56 0 0.00 0.00

Tioga 844 172 20.38 5 2.91 0.59 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00

Union 772 202 26.17 6 2.97 0.78 6 2.97 0.78 2 0.99 0.26

Venango 1,026 247 24.07 4 1.62 0.39 8 3.24 0.78 8 3.24 0.78

Warren 753 217 28.82 13 5.99 1.73 5 2.30 0.66 2 0.92 0.27

Washington 3,908 1,131 28.94 19 1.68 0.49 14 1.24 0.36 4 0.35 0.10

Wayne 791 191 24.15 5 2.62 0.63 3 1.57 0.38 1 0.52 0.13

Westmoreland 6,193 1,854 29.94 18 0.97 0.29 23 1.24 0.37 8 0.43 0.13

Wyoming 503 75 14.91 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.00

York 9,835 2,238 22.76 35 1.56 0.36 55 2.46 0.56 33 1.47 0.34

Unable to determine

- 4 - 0 0.00 - 0 0.00 -

Total 278,608 82,316 29.55 1,093 1.33 0.39 1,980 2.41 0.71 709 0.86 0.25

*Per CDC 2016 Elevated Blood Lead case definition **2017 intercensal estimate †† Percent was calculated as the number of children tested divided by the population of children in the county for the specified age range. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Figure 2. Number and Percentage* of Children Aged 0–23 Months Tested for Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017

*Percentage was calculated by dividing the number of children aged 0−23 months tested in each county by the 2017 intercensal estimate of the number of children aged 0−23 months residing in the county.


Figure 3. Number and Percentage of Children Aged 0–23 Months with Confirmed Elevated Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017

*Percentage was calculated by dividing the number of children aged 0−23 months with EBLL by the total number of children aged 0−23 months tested for blood lead level in 2017.


Table 10. Number of Children Aged 0–71 Months, by County of Residence and Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status**, 2017





N % of

population†† N

% of tested

% of population

N % of

tested % of

population N

% of tested

% of population

Adams 6,271 1,007 16.06 9 0.89 0.14 11 1.09 0.18 5 0.50 0.08

Allegheny 77,353 17,024 22.01 281 1.65 0.36 350 2.06 0.45 116 0.68 0.15

Armstrong 3,798 1,019 26.83 23 2.26 0.61 9 0.88 0.24 10 0.98 0.26

Beaver 10,347 1,626 15.71 36 2.21 0.35 20 1.23 0.19 5 0.31 0.05

Bedford 2,801 649 23.17 11 1.69 0.39 27 4.16 0.96 6 0.92 0.21

Berks 29,214 4,910 16.81 137 2.79 0.47 306 6.23 1.05 109 2.22 0.37

Blair 7,980 1,219 15.28 23 1.89 0.29 60 4.92 0.75 17 1.39 0.21

Bradford 4,309 606 14.06 4 0.66 0.09 22 3.63 0.51 13 2.15 0.30

Bucks 37,329 4,001 10.72 13 0.32 0.03 34 0.85 0.09 14 0.35 0.04

Butler 11,761 1,867 15.87 18 0.96 0.15 22 1.18 0.19 7 0.37 0.06

Cambria 7,851 1,533 19.53 51 3.33 0.65 66 4.31 0.84 28 1.83 0.36

Cameron 275 67 24.36 1 1.49 0.36 1 1.49 0.36 1 1.49 0.36

Carbon 3,637 638 17.54 23 3.61 0.63 26 4.08 0.71 12 1.88 0.33

Centre 8,004 727 9.08 3 0.41 0.04 9 1.24 0.11 2 0.28 0.02

Chester 35,131 4,735 13.48 86 1.82 0.24 77 1.63 0.22 21 0.44 0.06

Clarion 2,377 348 14.64 1 0.29 0.04 6 1.72 0.25 6 1.72 0.25

Clearfield 4,439 769 17.32 12 1.56 0.27 14 1.82 0.32 5 0.65 0.11

Clinton 2,575 334 12.97 0 0.00 0.00 11 3.29 0.43 2 0.60 0.08

Columbia 3,591 363 10.11 6 1.65 0.17 12 3.31 0.33 8 2.20 0.22

Crawford 5,699 792 13.90 22 2.78 0.39 29 3.66 0.51 10 1.26 0.18

Cumberland 16,404 1,055 6.43 17 1.61 0.10 19 1.80 0.12 7 0.66 0.04

Dauphin 20,715 2,350 11.34 52 2.21 0.25 99 4.21 0.48 46 1.96 0.22

Delaware 40,047 8,974 22.41 128 1.43 0.32 200 2.23 0.50 71 0.79 0.18

Elk 1,805 262 14.52 1 0.38 0.06 2 0.76 0.11 4 1.53 0.22






N % of

population†† N

% of tested

% of population

N % of

tested % of

population N

% of tested

% of population

Erie 18,642 3,626 19.45 105 2.90 0.56 112 3.09 0.60 57 1.57 0.31

Fayette 8,197 1,237 15.09 2 0.16 0.02 28 2.26 0.34 11 0.89 0.13

Forest 160 22 13.75 0 0.00 0.00 1 4.55 0.63 0 0.00 0.00

Franklin 10,924 1,574 14.41 47 2.99 0.43 30 1.91 0.27 2 0.13 0.02

Fulton 881 150 17.03 0 0.00 0.00 7 4.67 0.79 1 0.67 0.11

Greene 2,319 425 18.33 9 2.12 0.39 6 1.41 0.26 6 1.41 0.26

Huntingdon 2,640 441 16.70 4 0.91 0.15 10 2.27 0.38 3 0.68 0.11

Indiana 4,801 781 16.27 22 2.82 0.46 11 1.41 0.23 7 0.90 0.15

Jefferson 3,011 440 14.61 13 2.95 0.43 10 2.27 0.33 6 1.36 0.20

Juniata 1,612 191 11.85 3 1.57 0.19 3 1.57 0.19 3 1.57 0.19

Lackawanna 13,430 2,117 15.76 90 4.25 0.67 91 4.30 0.68 40 1.89 0.30

Lancaster 43,205 3,494 8.09 22 0.63 0.05 183 5.24 0.42 79 2.26 0.18

Lawrence 5,618 721 12.83 16 2.22 0.28 16 2.22 0.28 7 0.97 0.12

Lebanon 10,073 1,111 11.03 26 2.34 0.26 41 3.69 0.41 17 1.53 0.17

Lehigh 26,276 4,356 16.58 96 2.20 0.37 106 2.43 0.40 58 1.33 0.22

Luzerne 19,415 3,364 17.33 77 2.29 0.40 87 2.59 0.45 27 0.80 0.14

Lycoming 7,507 1,127 15.01 3 0.27 0.04 50 4.44 0.67 17 1.51 0.23

McKean 2,454 654 26.65 23 3.52 0.94 22 3.36 0.90 6 0.92 0.24

Mercer 6,598 1,039 15.75 19 1.83 0.29 31 2.98 0.47 10 0.96 0.15

Mifflin 3,499 401 11.46 1 0.25 0.03 11 2.74 0.31 6 1.50 0.17

Monroe 9,177 860 9.37 2 0.23 0.02 7 0.81 0.08 1 0.12 0.01

Montgomery 55,131 9,033 16.38 75 0.83 0.14 176 1.95 0.32 74 0.82 0.13

Montour 1,209 400 33.09 2 0.50 0.17 6 1.50 0.50 3 0.75 0.25

Northampton 17,965 2,242 12.48 47 2.10 0.26 52 2.32 0.29 19 0.85 0.11

Northumberland 5,698 987 17.32 20 2.03 0.35 64 6.48 1.12 24 2.43 0.42

Perry 3,206 374 11.67 5 1.34 0.16 5 1.34 0.16 3 0.80 0.09

Philadelphia 126,682 39,832 31.44 553 1.39 0.44 2,073 5.20 1.64 612 1.54 0.48






N % of

population†† N

% of tested

% of population

N % of

tested % of

population N

% of tested

% of population

Pike 2,591 428 16.52 6 1.40 0.23 2 0.47 0.08 0 0.00 0.00

Potter 1,083 282 26.04 7 2.48 0.65 5 1.77 0.46 3 1.06 0.28

Schuylkill 8,297 1,533 18.48 65 4.24 0.78 58 3.78 0.70 24 1.57 0.29

Snyder 2,784 259 9.30 6 2.32 0.22 8 3.09 0.29 3 1.16 0.11

Somerset 4,119 589 14.30 8 1.36 0.19 19 3.23 0.46 3 0.51 0.07

Sullivan 203 30 14.78 0 0.00 0.00 1 3.33 0.49 2 6.67 0.99

Susquehanna 2,217 256 11.55 2 0.78 0.09 9 3.52 0.41 1 0.39 0.05

Tioga 2,595 325 12.52 8 2.46 0.31 5 1.54 0.19 1 0.31 0.04

Union 2,432 347 14.27 8 2.31 0.33 12 3.46 0.49 5 1.44 0.21

Venango 3,117 524 16.81 12 2.29 0.38 26 4.96 0.83 21 4.01 0.67

Warren 2,365 428 18.10 26 6.07 1.10 22 5.14 0.93 4 0.93 0.17

Washington 12,714 1,782 14.02 33 1.85 0.26 32 1.80 0.25 12 0.67 0.09

Wayne 2,522 397 15.74 10 2.52 0.40 9 2.27 0.36 4 1.01 0.16

Westmoreland 19,498 3,164 16.23 36 1.14 0.18 45 1.42 0.23 19 0.60 0.10

Wyoming 1,589 124 7.80 1 0.81 0.06 2 1.61 0.13 0 0.00 0.00

York 30,659 3,410 11.12 44 1.29 0.14 137 4.02 0.45 65 1.91 0.21

Unable to determine

- 4 - 0 0.00 - 0 0.00 - 0 0.00 -

Total 852,828 151,756 17.79 2,512 1.66 0.29 5,063 3.34 0.59 1,791 1.18 0.21

*Per CDC 2016 Elevated Blood Lead case definition **2017 intercensal estimate ††Percent was calculated as the number of children tested divided by the population of children in the county for the specified age range. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.


Figure 4. Number and Percentage* of Children Aged 0–71 Months Tested for Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017

*Percentage was calculated by dividing the number of children aged 0−71 months tested in each county by the 2017 intercensal estimate of the number of children aged 0−71 months residing in the county.


Figure 5. Number and Percentage* of Children Aged 0–71 Months with Confirmed Elevated Blood Lead Level, by County, 2017.

*Percentage was calculated by dividing the number of children aged 0−71 months with EBLL by the total number of children aged 0−71 months tested for blood lead level in 2017.


Testing in Rural and Urban Counties:

The chart below contains testing data on children under 6, broken out by residence in either a rural or urban county. The chart also further displays results broken out by EBLL and whether they were confirmed.

Table 11. Number of Children Aged 0–71 Months, by Urban/Rural Status of County of Residence and Elevated Blood Lead Confirmation Status*, 2017

Status of County of Residence




N % of

population†† N

% of tested

% of population

N % of

tested % of

population N

% of tested

% of population

Rural 205,312 31,330 15.26 591 1.89 0.29 855 2.73 0.42 335 1.07 0.16

Urban 647,516 120,424 18.6 1,921 1.60 0.30 4,208 3.49 0.65 1,456 1.21 0.22

Total 852,828 151,754 17.79 2,512 1.66 0.29 5,063 3.34 0.59 1,791 1.18 0.21

*Per CDC 2016 Elevated Blood Lead case definition **2017 intercensal estimate ††Percent was calculated as number of children tested/population of children in county for specified age range. ^Totals and percentages will not match totals presented on prior tables, as four children for whom a county of residence could not be determined are excluded. Data sources: Lead testing data - Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA-NEDSS. Estimated population data - National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age, bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex.

Note: A county or school district is rural when the number of persons per square mile within the county or school district is less than 284. Counties and school districts that have 284 persons or more per square mile are considered urban. The current mix of 48 rural and 19 urban counties has remained unchanged since 1970. Population projections from the Pennsylvania State Data Center shows that this current mix of rural/urban counties will remain the same until 2040. Urban counties are Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Westmoreland and York.


References: 1. National Toxicology Program. 2012. Monograph on health effects of low-level lead.

Research triangle park, NC. Available from: https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=4F04B8EA-B187-9EF2-9F9413C68E76458E. Accessed on December 12, 2018.

2. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. 2017. Environmental health and medicine education, lead toxicity, what are the possible health effects from lead exposure? Available from: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=34&po=10. Assessed on December 12, 2018.

3. Advisory Committee for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention, 2012. Low Level Lead Exposure Harms Children: A Renewed Call for Primary Prevention. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/acclpp/blood_lead_levels.htm. Assessed on December 12, 2018.

4. U.S. Census Bureau. American community survey population estimate program. 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, table B25034: year structure built.

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002. Managing Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Young Children: Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/casemanagement/managingEBLLs.pdf. Assessed on December 12, 2018.

6. American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Environmental Health. 2016. Prevention of Childhood Lead Toxicity. Available from: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2016/06/16/peds.2016-1493.full.pdf. Assessed on December 12, 2018.

7. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended actions based on blood lead level. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/acclpp/actions_blls.html. Assessed on December 12, 2018.

8. National Center for Health Statistics. Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates of the resident population of the United States (April 1, 2010, July 1, 2010-July 1, 2017), by year, county, single-year of age (0, 1, 2, .., 85 years and over), bridged race, Hispanic origin, and sex. Prepared under a collaborative arrangement with the U.S. Census Bureau. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm as of June 27, 2018, following release by the U.S. Census Bureau of the unbridged Vintage 2017 postcensal estimates by 5-year age group on June 21, 2018.

https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=4F04B8EA-B187-9EF2-9F9413C68E76458E

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=34&po=10

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/acclpp/blood_lead_levels.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/casemanagement/managingEBLLs.pdf

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2016/06/16/peds.2016-1493.full.pdf

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2016/06/16/peds.2016-1493.full.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/acclpp/actions_blls.html

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/bridged_race.htm


Contact Information

For information about lead surveillance data, contact: Sharon Watkins, PhD | Director Bureau of Epidemiology State epidemiologist Pennsylvania Department of Health Room 933 Health and Welfare Building 625 Forster St. | Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701 Phone: 717-787-3350 | Fax: 717-772-6975 For information about the Department of Health’s Lead Prevention Program, contact: Tara Trego | Director Division of Child and Adult Health Services Bureau of Family Health Pennsylvania Department of Health Health and Welfare Building, 7th Floor East Wing 625 Forster St. | Harrisburg, PA 17120 Phone: 717-547-3325 | Fax: 717-772-0323 This report can be found at: https://www.health.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

https://www.health.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Documents

2017 Childhood Lead Surveillance Annual Report...exposure include toys, ceramics and other consumer products.3 Water, as a source of lead exposure, can also be considered problematic